Apparatus for practicing football goal kicking



Aug. 14, Y R E. wi pEr-Qpy n APPARATUS FGI:y RACTllNGTDC @LL OAL KICKNG v OriginalA Filed Sept. 1941? 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IELL- INVENTOR:

n manor@ l\ I l A M 7M V1 A TTORNEY Aug, M,

APA-ATUS FOR PRACTICLNG FOOTBALL GOAL KICKING Original Filed Sept. 4, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ll l @y 35,7* /37 43 .JJ

J) f l/ l i J2 s lig? 5"* J7 w52 INVENTOR.-

55 aeri E: malen/221'?, 11 @51 BY M?" ATTORNEY.v

ug- 14 1945 R. E. wgPERRY APPARATUS FOR PRACTICING FOOTBALL GOAL KICKING Original Filed Sept.` 4, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A 17am/fx Patented Aug. 14, 1945 APPARATUS FOR PRACTICIN G FOOTBALL GOAL' KICKING Robert E. Whalen Perry, Los Angeles, Calif.

substituted for abandoned application Serial l \Io. 457,303, September 4, 1942. This application July 22, 1944. Serial No. 546.070

7 Claims.

This invention is an apparatus for practicing football goal kicking, and this application is a substitute for my abandoned application, Serial No. 457,303, led September 4, 1942, for Apparatus for practicing football goal kicking.

The general object of the invention is to provide an apparatus with a football arranged to be picked straight ahead toward a simulated goal or to either side of said simulated goal.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for practicing football goal kicking with means for indicating the force with which the football is kicked.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings which form a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4 illustrating the rock shaft and the swivel joint connecting the football arm to said shaft.

Fig. 4 is a transvertical section of Fig. 3 taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of coin-controlling mechanism and kick indicator taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of Fig. 5 taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a View of the pawl and ratchet which locks the apparatus in inoperative position.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a modification of my invention.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8 with the target in position to be struck by the football when kicked.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of Fig. 8 showing the football kicked against the lowermost target slat and said slat and the remaining slats of the target turned on their pivots, and showing the uppermost Slat turned so that its rear side is exposed at the front of the target.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters in all of the figures, I designates a floor base and 2 designates a Vertical wall upstanding from said floor base near the rear thereof, said vertical wall being braced at its rear side by `angle braces 3 secured at their lower ends to the floor base I rearwardly of said wall, and at their upper ends to the rear side of said wall. The upper edge 4 of the wall 2 is arcuate, and along said edge is arranged a football target 5 comprising a plurality of target plates 6, 1 and 8, hinged respectively by spring hinges 9 at their lower edges to said upper edge 4 of said wall 2, at the rear of said plates and said wall, the plate 6 being located centrally between the side edges of the wall 2 and between the innermost target plates 'I and 8. The target plate 6 indicates a football goal, while the target plates 'I and 8 indicate distances, respectively and progressively, from the left and from the right of said goal. The spring hinges 9 normally hold the target plates B, 'I and 8 in a vertical position, but allow said plates to swing backwardly, when struck in front by a football I0, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

A horizontal rock shaft I I is journaled in ball bearings I2, I3 and I4 a short distance above the floor base I' and a short distance forwardly of the wall 2,para1lel to said wall, which ball bearings are secured in mountings I5, I6 and I'I, the mountings I5 and I6 vbeing supported upon and secured to the floor base I, and the-mountings I'I being supported upon and secured to the lower wall of a casing I 8 within said casing, which casing rests upon and is secured to the floor base I,` for the purpose hereinafter more fully described. An arm I9 is connected at its rear end .to the rock shaft II between the bearings I2 and I3 by means of a swivel joint 20, and on the forward end of said arm is secured the football I0. The swivel joint 20 comprises a spherical hub 2| and a yoke 22 surrounding said hub, which hub is secured on the rock shaft I I between the bearings I'2 and I3, and the rear end of the arm I9 is secured to said yoke, there being external ribs 23. on the hub 2I and transverse grooves 24 in the inner side of said yoke, in which grooves are slidably fitted said ribs 23, whereby said yoke is allowed to swing either to the right or to the left on said spherical hub 2|. A coil spring 25 surrounds the rock shaft II, with one end of said spring engaging a lug 26 on the bearing mounting I6, and the other end of said spring engaging a collar 21 securedl on said rock shaft, which spring, with predetermined force, resists turning movement of the rock shaft Il by upward rearward movement of the arm I 9, when the football I0 is kicked rearwardly and upwardly, and said spring turns said rock shaft II and swings said arm I9 and football I0 down, until said football rests upon the oor base I, each time said football is kicked, as aforesaid, so that said arm and said football are normally maintained, by

the spring 25, in their lowermost position, with the football resting upon the oor base I in position to be kicked, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

As indicator 30 is provided to indicate the force with which the football I is kicked, which indicator includes a scale 3l an indicator. bar 32movable over said scale, a rack 33 on-said indicator bar, a gear 34 in mesh with said rack, a shaft 35 on which said gear is secured, a pinion 36 on said shaft 35, and a gear 31, on rock shaft I'I, in mesh with said pinion. The bar 32', lrack .33, gear 134, shaft 35, pinion 36, and gear 31 are enclosed in the casing I8. The upper end portion of the .indicator bar 32 extends through and is slidably fitted in a slot y33 in the upperwall 39 of the .casing I8, while the rearside of said bar, opposite the rack 33, slidably rests against a straight bearing 4I) on the inner side of the rear wall of the casing I8. The shaft 35 is journaled in ball bearings 4I and 42, the bearing v44I being secured in the bearing mounting I1, and the bearing 42 being secured in a bearing mounting 43 which is secured to the lower wall of the casing IB within said casing.

My apparatus may be controlled by a coin-control mechanism 58, which locks the apparatus against operation until said mechanism is actuated upon depositing a coin therein of a predetermined denomination. Said coin-control mechanism includes a ratchet l, secured on the shaft 35 between the bearingmountings I1 and 43, a pawl 52, for engaging said ratchet, pivoted at 53 on the upper partj43' of bearing mounting 43, a spring plunger rod 54 for engaging, at its lower end, one end ofr said pawl'52, a coinactuating spring plunger 55 for actuating said spring plunger rod, a coin-receiving chute 56 for said -coin-actuating spring plunger, and a coincollecting drawer 51 for receiving and collecting coins -deposited in said coin chute 56, after said coins have'been received in and acted upon by said coin-actuating spring `V`plunger 55 in depressing said springplunger rod 54, `whereby the lower end of said rod is caused to engage and swing the pawl 52 out of engagement with the ratchet 5I to release my apparatus for operationin'the manner hereinafter more fully described. The spring plunger rod 54 is slidably mounted in bearings 58 and 59 extendinginwardly from the front wall of the casing I8 within said casing, and a coil spring 60 surrounds said plunger rod 54 with the lower end of said spring resting against the bearing 58 and the upper end Vof said spring bearing against a collar 6| secured on said plunger rod, whereby said plunger rod is normally held in its elevated position with its lower end releasing the pawl 52 and allowing said pawl to swing into engagement with the ratchet 5I and lock the apparatus against operation. The coin-actuating' spring plunger 55 is bored upwardly longitudinally from its lower end as indicated at 62, to receive loosely the upper end portion of the spring plunger rod 54, and said coin-actuating spring plunger is provided with coin slots 63 and 64 arranged diametrically opposite each other with the slot 64 a short distance below the slot 63, the slot 63 registering with the lower inner end of the coin chute 56 when the plunger 55 is in its uppermost position, as illustrated in Figs. 5 andi of the drawings. Said plunger`55 is slidably mounted in a bearing 65 secured in the upper forward part of the casing I8, through the forward wall of which bearing extends the lower Aan opening 68 in the upper wall of the casing I8 and a knob 69A is secured on the upper end of saidfstemptherebeing a coil spring surrounding said stem 61 between the upper'wall of said casing I8 and said knob 69 which spring normally "holds said plunger 55 in its uppermost position,

with the coin slot '63 in registration with the lowernner end of the coin chute 56. The coincollecting .drawer 51 is slidably mounted in a frame 1I in the casing I8 immediately below the vcoin Aoutlet slot r66, and extends through a side wallof said casing, so that the drawer may be withdrawn from time to time to collect the coins dropped .therein from the plunger 55, through the outlet slot 66, after the coins have been introduced .into Land ihave been acted upon by said plunger when depressed, lfor unlocking the apparatus'for operation, in the manner hereinafter morefully described.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention areas follows: y

-Normally'thearm I"9 and football I0 are locked in their uppermost position, a's'shown in dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings, by the engagement of'thepawl-52 with the ratchet 5I, and the coinactuating spring yplunger 55 and spring plunger rod'54 are held in their uppermost positions by their springs 18 and 60, respectively, while the indicator lbar 32 is heldv in an elevated position by the engagement of the gear 34 with the rack When `a football player desires to practice a football goal kick with my apparatus he first deposits ;a coin 15 'of the yproper denomination in the -coin lchute 56,-which coin rolls down said chute into the slots '63 and 64 in the coin-actuating plunger 155, with the lower edge of said coin resting immediately above the upper end of the spring plunger rod 54. The football player then places `his thumb on the knob 69 and depresses the coin-actuating plunger 55, 'whereupon the lower edge of the coin 15, engaging the upper end of .the spring plungerrod 54, causes said rod to be depressed against the tension of the spring 6I) and the lower end of said rod 54 'to engage the forward end of the pawl 52 and swing said pawl out of engagement with the ratchet 5I and unlock the apparatus, whereupon the arm I9 and footballv I0 swing down under the influence of the spring 25 actuating the rock shaft I I and swivel `joint 20, until the football rests upon the floor base I, while the indicator bar 32 is lowered by the turning rock saft I I, through the medium of the gear 31, pinion 36, shaft 35, gear 34 and rack 33, until the upper end of said indicator bar 32 `coincides with the zero graduation on the scale 3l of the indicator 30, as shown in' Figs. 5 and 6 of thel drawings. The football player then releases the knob 69, whereupon the coin 15 rolls out of the coin-control plunger 55 through its slot 64 and then rolls through the slot 66, in bearing 65, into the cash drawer`51, and said plunger 55 is elevated by its spring 10 to its "normal uppermost position, while the plunger rod 54 is elevated to its normal uppermost position by its spring 60, and the pawl 52, being released by the elevation of the lower end of said Aplunger rod 54 swings back into the ratchet 5l, The football player then kicks thefootball I toward the goal represented by the goal plate 6 of the target 5, whereupon the football and arm I9 are swung upwardly-,and rearwardly, straight ahead, or t0 one side or the other, on the swivel joint 20 against the tension of the spring 25, until the football strikes either the goal plate 6 or one of the target plates -I or 8 at the left or right of said goal plate,4 and the plate struck by the football is thereby vswung backwardly on its hinge 9, as shown in `dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thus indicating on the target the position to which the football is kicked, and more particularly indicating whether the football has been kicked to the goal, or how far to the left or to the right of the goal the football has been kicked.

As the football I0, upon being kicked, is swung upwardly and Iforwardly as above described, the rock shaft II and gear 3l are correspondingly turned, and said gear turns the pinion 38, shaft 35, ratchet 5I and gear 34, the pawl 52 escaping said ratchet, and the gear 34 in mesh with rack 38 elevates the indicator bar 32, until the force of the vkick of the football is spent and the football 90 and arm I9 reach the end of their upward and forward swinging movement and the indicator bar 32 reaches the end of its upward movement, in which position the football I Il, arm I9 and indicator bar 32 are arrested and locked against backward movement by the engage-ment of the pawl 52 with the ratchet 5I, and the upper end of said indicator bar 32, coinciding with a graduation of the scale 3| of the indicator 30, indicates the force of the kick of the football. The target plate 6, 'I or 8, which was struck by the football, when kicked, and swung forwardly thereby, is. swung back to its normal Vertical position by its spring hinge 9, as shown in full lines in Fig. l of the drawings.

My apparatus cannot be unlocked for operation without depositing a, proper coin in the coin chute 59, because, without a coin in this coinactuating spring plunger 55 to engage the upperl end of the spring plunger 54, the plunger 55 may kbe depressed without depressing the spring plunger 54, the bore 82 of the plunger 55 extending upwardly far enough to receive the upper end portion of the spring plunger rod 54 upon depressing the plunger 55.

In the modication of my invention, shown in Figs. 8, 9 and l0 of the drawings, the mechanism is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, with the exception that a football target 50 is substituted for the football target 5. The target 80 comprises an inverted U-shaped frame 8| upstanding from the rear part of the floor base I, a plurality of superimposed horizontal target slats 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 81 pivoted respectively at their ends, by pivots 88, 89, 90, 9|, 92 and 93, in the upper portion of the upright members 94 of said frame 8|, and a basket 95 mounted on the rear side of said upright members 94 behind the lowermost slat 82 to receive the football I0 when kicked to one side by Ia, player of my football goal-kicking apparatus. The lowermost slat 82 is formed in its lower edge with twolarge indentations 96 and 91 and with a depending tongue 98 between said indentations located centrally of the target 80. From the upper rear edge of the lowermost target slat 82 extend a, pair of suitably spaced lugs 99 for extending upwardly over the rear lower rear edge of the slat 83 and engaging the rear side of said slat when said slats are in vertical alignment.

From the upper front edge of the slat 83 extend a. pair ofsuitably-spaced lugs I 00 for extending` upwardly over the lower front edge of the slat 84 whensaid slats are in vertical alignment. From the upper rear 'edge of the slat 84 extend a pair of suitably-spaced lugs yI0I for extending upwardly over the lower rear edge of the slat 85 when said slats are in vertical' alignment. From the upper front edge of the slat 85 extend a pair of suitably-spaced lugs |02 for extending upwardly over the lower front edge of the slat 86, when said slats are in vertical alignment. From the upper rear edge of the slat 88 extend a pair of suitably-spaced lugs |03 for extending upwardly over the lower rear edge of the uppermost slat`8'I, whenV said slats are in verticalgalignment.

On the rear side of the uppermost slat 81 is painted or otherwise represented a football, as indicated at |04. On the front side of the slats 83, 84, 85 and 86 are painted or otherwise represented for decorative purposes a suitable picture such as the picture of football players on a football field.

' The operation of the modification of 'my invention as sho-wn in Figs. 8, 9 and l0 is as follows:

When the football I0 is kicked by a player the football and arm I9 will swing upwardly' and forwardly on the swivel joint 20, and if the football is kicked straight and hard enough it will strike the depending tongue 98 of the lowermost slat 82 and swing said slat counter-clockwise (Figs. 9 and 10) on its pivots 88 and the lugs 99 on said slat will engage the rear side of the Slat 83 below its `pivots 89 and swing said slat 83 clockwise on its said pivots 89; the lugs |00 on the slat 83 will engage the front side of the slat 84 below its pivots 90 and swing said slat 84 counter-clockwise on its said pivots 90; the lugs IIJI on the slat 84 will engage the rear side of the slat 85 below its pivots 9| and swing said slat 85 clockwise on its said pivots; the lugs |02 on the slat 85 will engage the front side of the slat 88 below its pivots 92 and swing said slat 8B counterclockwise on its said pivots; and the lugs |03 on the slat 86 will engage the rear side of the uppermost slat 8l :below its pivots 93 and swing said slat 8`| clockwise on its pivots 93 one half revolution bringing the rear side of the slat 8l to the front of the target 80 and exposing the Ipicture |04 of a football on the rear side of said slat 81 and thereby indicating that a goal has been kicked by the football player kicking the football |0.

If the football I0 is kicked straight ahead, but not hard enough tol be kicked to a goal, the football Will strike the depending tongue 98 on the lowermost slat 82 and will turn said slat counter-clockwise, and the remaining slats 83, 84, 85, 8B and 81 will be successively turned, in the manner hereinabove described, but not sufficiently to turn the uppermost slat 81 a half-revolution to expose the representation of a football I0 on said slat to the front of the target 80, thus failing to indicate that a goal has been kicked and thereby indicating that a goal has not been kicked. l

If the football I0 is kicked to the left or to the right the arm I9 vwill be correspondingly swung to the left or to the right on the swivel joint 28, 'and the football will escape the tongue 98 and swing through the indentation 98 or 9'I in the lower edgeof the lowermost slat 82, into the basket 95, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, and the target will thereby be missed by thel footballand willfailto expose the representation` of. the` football'l I 0,4 to indicatefat goodkick, while f the position Y of the football.: in the basket 9,5` to the left or totherightof, the tofngi'ie` 98 will indicate that the footballwas kicked either to the left or tothe right of a, goal.

- My invention may be use d. as a4 game.

I claim:

1.. An apparatus forpracticing football goal kicking includingl a; goal,V a football, and means for mechanically controlling the trajectory of said football towards, said goal orto one side or the other of said goal, accordingto the direction in which said football is kicked.

2. An apparatus for Apracticing football kicking including a shaft suitably journaled, an arm, a football secured on onev end of said arm, and swivel means for connecting the, other endA of said arm to said shaft whereby said football whenv kicked may swing upwardly in a vertical plane. or to one side or the other of said plane.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including a pawl and ratchet arranged to arrest lthe football in an elevated positionto which the foot'- ball is swung when kicked, and means for disengaging said pawl from said ratchet to permit the football to swing down into position to be kicked.

4. An apparatus for practicing football goal kicking including a target constructed and arsesame ranged'with a Iplurality ofpivoted slats located oneabove another and interengaging means said slats, a football', and` means "for mounting saidfootball to be kicked against said lowerxnost slat to turn said slat on its pivots and to cause said slat, by, said interengaging means, to turn said remaining slats on theirpivots.

5. An apparatus for practicing football goal kicking including: a target constructed and arranged w'ith al plurality of pivoted slats located one above another; and interengagingv means on said, slats, theV lowermost slat being. formed with a, depending tongue, a football, and means for mounting said football to be kicked upwardly straight against said tongue or to either side of said tongue, so that when said football strikes said tongue said lowermost slat will be turned onv its pivots and cause said remaining slats to be turned on their pivots by said interengaging means.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means for automatically locking the football in an elevated position to which` it is kicked, and means for unlocking said locking means to permit the football to Ireturn to its kicking position.

7. rAn apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including means for indicating the force with which the football is kicked.

ROBERT E. WHALEN PERRY. 

